Learn to Play: Civilization: The Board Game (2010 ed.)

Title: Civilization: The Board Game (2010), a Learn-to-Play Board Game Event!

Join us at Pandemonium for a special demonstration of Civilization: The Board Game (the 2010 edition), a game we’re teaching by popular request! You’re especially welcome if you’ve never before played hobby board games (and are curious about where to start), but know that this is a longer session (4-5 hours post-teach, probably) with a game that is higher on the complexity end (though fairly intuitive once understood).

WHAT IS THIS GAME ABOUT?

Civilization gets its name (and inspiration) from the eponymous series of video games. As such, you’ll start with a great leader, a capital, and just a few soldiers and scouts, and you’ll explore new lands, settle new cities, extract resources from the surrounding territory, and fight against those who would stand in your way. Although combat is one way to win the game (by destroying a rival’s capital), Civilization also allows victory through various “soft” power developments: be the fastest at developing space flight via technological development; become an unstoppable paragon of culture by investing in art; secure enough gold that your economy can never falter (maybe by discovering El Dorado itself!). There’s a lot of rules in this game because it asks you to create your own path to victory.

But more to the point, Civilization lets you explore the same what-if historical situations also entertained in the video games. What if the Romans built the Great Pyramids and discovered communism? What if flight was discovered by the stone-age Americans before the development of gunpowder? What if television could prevent Cleopatra from sending a nuclear strike against Queen Elizabeth of England? These stories (from actual play!) are all possibilities the board game entertains.

LOGISTICS

Note that we’ll be starting early (1:00 p.m.) so we have time to explain the rules and finish the game. Our event says it will end at 6, but we should complete before then (although “before” could mean 5:30). That’s because we’ll be playing with the two expansions released for the game, so we’ll have more rules to explain.

So if that sounds like something you’d want to try, do sign up for the event! We will cap the table at 5, but know that it plays well at all player counts (arguably). Nevertheless, if extended civilization gamers aren’t your cup of tea, please stay tuned to our Events Calendar for future events on Saturday and Sunday, our typical nights for games. We’ll have one more event in December before a brief recess at year’s end.

RULES FOR ATTENDING: 

• Proof of vaccination is no longer required. If COVID levels rise, masking will be required. We will make an announcement about this on our website and social media if re-instated. 
• Photos may be taken at events to be used in our social media or promotional materials. Please inform the staff member running the event if you do not want your photo taken.
• Advance online registration is required.
• Anyone not registered in an ongoing event will not be allowed in the event space to maintain capacity limits.
• Food is not allowed in our event space. Drinks are allowed.